University of Havana

Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the largest and oldest institution of higher learning in Cuba, and one of the foremost in the continent, distinguished as much for its tradition of academic excellence as for its scientific and pedalogical standards. Sarah Lawrence students have access to a broad range of classes taught by faculty in five general areas—philosophy, history and sociology; arts and letters, including literature; psychology and women’s studies; biology; and health sciences. As you explore the various disciplines, you’ll find both subtle and significant differences from the U.S. approach to each. For instance, the Cuban psychological tradition, rather than focusing on the individual, emphasizes family, community and the social environment.

The following courses constitute a sampling of what students on the program have studied at the University of Havana:

Cuban Cultural Studies

Cuban Economic Thought

Ideologia y Revolución: Cuba 1959–1962

Political Economy: Marxist Theory

Sociology of the Family

Sociology of Labor

Spanish Language: Advanced Intermediate

Women’s Studies

On Cuba

"I took a course in conservation biology at the University of Havana. My conference work was more like a sociology class, as I worked with a community and learned about its campaigns to protect wetlands."
—Cuba program participant